International operation nets 435 arrests in child pornography crackdown, including seven in HK

In a major international crackdown, law enforcement agencies from Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand have arrested 435 individuals for their involvement in the online distribution of child pornography, with seven of them being from Hong Kong.

The operation, conducted from February 24 to March 28, targeted a wide age range of suspects, from 13 to 68 years old.

Authorities confiscated 266 computers, various external storage devices, and 279 mobile phones. The majority of the arrests were linked to child pornography and other sexual offenses.

In Hong Kong, the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau (CSTCB) led the efforts, arresting seven males aged between 16 and 49.

These individuals face charges including the production and possession of child pornography, as well as obstructing police officers during their duties.

During the raids, Hong Kong police seized 11 computers, external storage devices, and seven smartphones.

A thorough examination of these devices uncovered 162 child pornography videos and 230 related images. The investigations revealed that the suspects had sourced these illegal materials from social media platforms, websites, and peer-to-peer sharing software.

The preliminary findings suggest that the cases in Hong Kong are unrelated, with only one involving a local victim; the rest involved foreign victims, mainly from Europe and America.

Among those arrested in Hong Kong was a 16-year-old high school student who had taken eight child pornography images of his younger sister. These incidents occurred between 2022 and 2023, with the victim's knowledge, but no other forms of sexual abuse were evident.

The Hong Kong police have issued a stern warning against underestimating the reach of the law in cyberspace and urged the public to refrain from engaging in any activities related to child pornography.

The Hong Kong Police Force continues to collaborate with INTERPOL and other international agencies to combat child exploitation and sexual abuse.